USA - Florida. Bill To End Death Penalty Dies In House

Bill To End Death Penalty Dies In House. In a 9-4 vote, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted against a bill (HB 4005) that would have abolished the death penalty in Florida. But the rare vote to kill a bill in committee, rather than just bottling it up never to be heard, gave death penalty opponents their 1st chance to extensively argue for a repeal, following several years in which the measure's sponsor, Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, has been unable to persuade Republican leaders to put the bill before a committee. Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, introduced the bill again last week and offered extensive praise for committee chairman Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, for being willing to allow the debate on the often divisive and emotional issue. Gaetz also had the committee take testimony from a number of death penalty opponents, including a rabbi, a university criminology professor and a woman whose daughter and grandson were murdered but who has advocated against the death penalty.